Interesting pistol

[ccdjg]

This interesting mystery pistol, soon to be coming up at a Southams auction, has given me a lot of thought:
(http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/au...6-a4f700ac96f0)

The auctioneers suggest it might be an example of the hitherto unseen Boys Air Pistol advertised briefly by Bonehill at the end of the nineteenth century. However, the gun looks nothing like the 1898 Bonehill catalogue line drawing.
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...psg0wmvmfc.jpg
Also the method of cocking and loading is not disclosed in the catalogue so there is nothing to go by there.

As far as cocking and loading goes, the pistol follows closely the fifth model Quackenbush air pistol of 1876, an incredibly rare pistol for which no photograph exists to my knowledge. Unfortunately the Southam pistol is clearly not one of these, as all the Quackenbush family of pistols are characterised by having a one piece solid cast iron frame and grip, whereas this one is clearly made up of various steel parts brazed together.

To me the pistol has the hallmarks of a prototype made by a skilled amateur, or perhaps one of a series of prototypes put together by a professional who was still experimenting and wasn’t too bothered about build quality. Anyone have any thoughts about it?

[micky]

This interesting mystery pistol, soon to be coming up at a Southams auction, has given me a lot of thought:
(http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/au...6-a4f700ac96f0)

The auctioneers suggest it might be an example of the hitherto unseen Boys Air Pistol advertised briefly by Bonehill at the end of the nineteenth century. However, the gun looks nothing like the 1898 Bonehill catalogue line drawing.
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...psg0wmvmfc.jpg
Also the method of cocking and loading is not disclosed in the catalogue so there is nothing to go by there.

As far as cocking and loading goes, the pistol follows closely the fifth model Quackenbush air pistol of 1876, an incredibly rare pistol for which no photograph exists to my knowledge. Unfortunately the Southam pistol is clearly not one of these, as all the Quackenbush family of pistols are characterised by having a one piece solid cast iron frame and grip, whereas this one is clearly made up of various steel parts brazed together.

To me the pistol has the hallmarks of a prototype made by a skilled amateur, or perhaps one of a series of prototypes put together by a professional who was still experimenting and wasn’t too bothered about build quality. Anyone have any thoughts about it?

My thoughts were it was a one off, although it as number 14 stamped on all the parts dosen't mean it might be a prototype but it could be?, l have a few oneoffs which l find intresting which have numbers stamped on them. but l am sure someone on here will enlighten us about it hopefully.